Wal-Mart sued for improperly assembled bicycle

RicodJour

On Jun 25, 11:18 pm, SMS <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote:
>
> Actually Styrofoam cups are better for heat retention because the foam
> is a better insulator than paper or China, but is politically incorrect
> even though technically it's more energy efficient than paper cups. Plus
> you don't need a paper insulation sleeve with Styrofoam cups.

Plus you get those tasty monomers that escaped polymerization - there
are always some. Pouring boiling water into a Styrofoam cup is an
excellent way of extracting the monomers. Monomers aren't good for
you.

R

still just me

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:33:39 -0700 (PDT), Jay Beattie
<jbeattie@lindsayhart.com> wrote:

>By the way, the jurors pick their own foreman -- that's the first
>thing they do when they go to the jury room to deliberate. -- Jay
>Beattie.

That's state specific. Not sure what happens at the Federal level.

bjw@mambo.ucolick.org

On Jun 25, 8:18*pm, SMS <scharf.ste...@geemail.com> wrote:
> A Muzi wrote:
> >> "Jay Beattie" <jbeat...@lindsayhart.com> wrote
> >>> So, the average consumer now gets what he or she expects
> >>> -- average hot coffee.
>
> > Tom Kunich wrote:
> >> Sorry but most places now serve coffee barely warm. This is the result
> >> of that case. Then you go into small single owner coffee shops and the
> >> coffee is real temperature and you need to let it cool for 10 minutes
> >> before you can sip it.
>
> > huh. The things you learn on r.b.t.
>
> > My espresso is made with live steam into a little LavAzza china
> > demitasse and is quite drinkable right away. Just walking 50m in a paper
> > 'togo' cup, it's pathetically tepid.
>
> Espresso cools very rapidly with the very small volume of liquid, and
> since each drink is made fresh there's no opportunity for it to be
> externally heated. Paper or China doesn't make much difference, other
> than it's tacky to drink espresso from a paper cup.
>
> Actually Styrofoam cups are better for heat retention because the foam
> is a better insulator than paper or China, but is politically incorrect
> even though technically it's more energy efficient than paper cups. Plus
> you don't need a paper insulation sleeve with Styrofoam cups.

Styrofoam is forever. About twenty years ago, a friend of
mine crewed on one of those recreated sailing vessels
that visits ports serving some nominal historical educational
function. He said that when they sailed through the
Sargasso Sea, if you looked over into the water it was full
of tiny styrofoam pellets, the styrofoam atoms about 2-3mm
across that packing foam breaks down into when crushed.
At least paper rots.

When I go to the coffee shop near my office, I bring an
(insulated) mug. They give a discount to encourage this.

Ben

Frank Krygowski

On Jun 25, 9:42 pm, carlfo...@comcast.net wrote:
> On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:44:21 -0700 (PDT), Frank Krygowski
>
>
>
> <frkry...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Jun 25, 5:42 pm, carlfo...@comcast.net wrote:
>
> >> I don't drink coffee, but RBT enthusiasts might have fun finding out
> >> how hot the java really is in their cup with this cheap toy:
>
> >> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ct...temnumber=93983
>
> >> The advantage over a normal thermometer, apart from absurd precision,
> >> is that you don't have to stick a probe into your coffee and can
> >> politely check every cup on the table.
>
> >I've had one of those for about a year. Pretty interesting. It works
> >well, although (not surprisingly) it has no correction for surface
> >emissivity - which is no big deal at that price.
>
> >Naturally, Safe Coffee Drinkers Inc. is lobbying to make those units
> >mandatory for everyone drinking coffee. And of course, Harbor Freight
> >conscientiously helps to fund this fine "safety" effort promoted by
> >Safe Coffee Drinkers, Inc. But that has nothing to do with their
> >business interest! They do it only out of the goodness of their
> >heart!
>
> >;-)
>
> >- Frank Krygowski
>
> Dear Frank,
>
> The manual states "NOT FOR MEDICAL OR FOOD SAFETY USE" right at the
> beginning for the benefit of anyone rendered smug by excessive
> caffeine ingest--

Don't worry about that too much. It's a lot like the stickers in side
bike helmets, saying things like "NO HELMET CAN PROTECT AGAINST ALL
POSSIBLE IMPACTS..." and mentioning invisible damage to the helmet
that may make it stop working. You know, so they can say it wasn't
their fault when their hat doesn't work. It's still a fine, fine
product, and one study once showed it can reduce lab scaldings by up
to 85%!

Anyway, the Stella Memorial Foundation is hard at work on a
certification test for all non-contact coffee thermometers. As soon
as that's done, the heavy lobbying will start, and all coffee drinkers
will soon need to carry one in their pocket. There'll be a separate
one for tea (with a higher range, of course) as well as a pasta
version. And there will be warnings to NEVER use your coffee
thermometer for pasta, or vice versa! The Starbucks crowd will start
yelling "Hey, where's your thermometer?" if anyone tries to sip the
old way. Oh, it will be fine!

> Er, never mind. Test some tea or coffee for us.

Just did. Oolong tea, made with boiling water. Nice stuff! (And
amazingly, no injury!)

- Frank Krygowski

SMS

still just me wrote:

> Walmart hires people to assemble bikes. They then sell them with the
> reasonable expectation of them being properly assembled. Unless they
> come with a disclaimer of "bike not properly assembled, recheck all
> our work" then they are likely (and correctly) liable for this. The
> bike was three days old, the injuries are substantial, they're going
> to lose (or likely settle) for a substantial sum.

My son's friend came over this morning, and I was putting his bicycle
behind our gate so it wouldn't be stolen. With each revolution of the
front wheel it rubbed the brake pad. I tried the brakes and they barely
contacted the rims, either back or front, apparently they were adjusted
so the out of true wheels wouldn't rub. Both pedals were broken. A fine
$50 Huffy bicycle from Target, assembled by a mininum wage teenager.

I should have left it out in front of the house so it could be stolen.
His parents could well afford to buy him a decent bicycle, but of course
the problem isn't really a lack of money, it's that they just don't know
any better. It often doesn't cost much more money. If they had bought
him a $200 bike shop bicycle it could be passed on to his brother, and
then sold on craigslist for $75, they'd have been out only a bit more
money. I bought my son a Jamis bicycle on sale at Sports Basement for
$160, one of the only "tween" bicycles I could find anywhere. Once he's
done with it I'm sure I can sell it for at least $80, maybe more because
it's so hard to find this type of bicycle.

Bicycle shops have to start doing some outreach programs at early ages,
teaching parents and kids about bicycles. They could start with offering
to do programs at groups like scouting groups, or offering to
participate in enrichment days at schools (where local businesses often
show up with programs to teach kids about the real world).

carlfogel@comcast.net

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:57:58 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:

>still just me wrote:
>
>> Walmart hires people to assemble bikes. They then sell them with the
>> reasonable expectation of them being properly assembled. Unless they
>> come with a disclaimer of "bike not properly assembled, recheck all
>> our work" then they are likely (and correctly) liable for this. The
>> bike was three days old, the injuries are substantial, they're going
>> to lose (or likely settle) for a substantial sum.
>
>My son's friend came over this morning, and I was putting his bicycle
>behind our gate so it wouldn't be stolen. With each revolution of the
>front wheel it rubbed the brake pad. I tried the brakes and they barely
>contacted the rims, either back or front, apparently they were adjusted
>so the out of true wheels wouldn't rub. Both pedals were broken. A fine
>$50 Huffy bicycle from Target, assembled by a mininum wage teenager.
>
>I should have left it out in front of the house so it could be stolen.
>His parents could well afford to buy him a decent bicycle, but of course
>the problem isn't really a lack of money, it's that they just don't know
>any better. It often doesn't cost much more money. If they had bought
>him a $200 bike shop bicycle it could be passed on to his brother, and
>then sold on craigslist for $75, they'd have been out only a bit more
>money. I bought my son a Jamis bicycle on sale at Sports Basement for
>$160, one of the only "tween" bicycles I could find anywhere. Once he's
>done with it I'm sure I can sell it for at least $80, maybe more because
>it's so hard to find this type of bicycle.
>
>Bicycle shops have to start doing some outreach programs at early ages,
>teaching parents and kids about bicycles. They could start with offering
>to do programs at groups like scouting groups, or offering to
>participate in enrichment days at schools (where local businesses often
>show up with programs to teach kids about the real world).

Dear Steven,

If both pedals were broken, the kid probably treated the bike the way
kids often treat them--and had fun doing it.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel

SMS

carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:

> Dear Steven,
>
> If both pedals were broken, the kid probably treated the bike the way
> kids often treat them--and had fun doing it.

Perhaps. But the two block ride from his house to our house was a big
accomplishment on this bicycle. Thank goodness he didn't have to make
any quick stops. We couldn't really invite him to join us on some of our
longer rides, as riding 20 miles on that dreadfully heavy, poorly
assembled bicycle would be damn near impossible.

carlfogel@comcast.net

On Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:34:05 -0700, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com>
wrote:

>carlfogel@comcast.net wrote:
>
>> Dear Steven,
>>
>> If both pedals were broken, the kid probably treated the bike the way
>> kids often treat them--and had fun doing it.
>
>Perhaps. But the two block ride from his house to our house was a big
>accomplishment on this bicycle. Thank goodness he didn't have to make
>any quick stops. We couldn't really invite him to join us on some of our
>longer rides, as riding 20 miles on that dreadfully heavy, poorly
>assembled bicycle would be damn near impossible.

Dear Steven,

Many posters let their imaginations run wild when it comes to the
terrifying effects of bicycle weight, design, and assembly.

I had little trouble doing my usual 15 miles on a "dreadfully heavy,
poorly assembled bicycle" that weighed twice the UCI minimum:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....4fc674f2e1aef3e

In fact, the Fury Roadmaster worked just fine for ~300 4-mile time
trial rides. Stripped of reflectors and sidestands for maximum speed,
the Fury weighed a svelte 34.2 pounds:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec....5493576a507f921

The Fury's lack of high-speed was mostly due to gigantic knobby tires
(wind drag in addition to rolling resistance), inadequate high gearing
(I simply spun out), and the MTB sit-up-and-beg position (terrible
aerodynamics).

Of course, I was a ~190 lb lad at the time, but smaller children do
just fine on bikes routinely scorned by RBT.

Years ago, I set out with several friends on a 25-mile ride along a
gravel rails-to-trails route near Seattle that ran over a gentle pass
and through a 2-mile abandoned railroad tunnel.

One friend's son came with us and had no trouble keeping up with our
leisurely group. He rode a battered single-speed kid's bike that would
have drawn disgusted comments in any RBT thread.

Cheers,

Carl Fogel